[3.30 A.M] Mount Snowdon (UNIT base), 26th October 2010
“She’s here.”
The scientist barely had time to turn around before Kate Lethbridge-Stewart stormed into view, flanked by two members of her team, a young, flighty looking woman, and an ashen-faced Indian man.
The scientist gulped. Kate was new to her role as the Head of Scientific Research, but there was an unbridled fury in her expression that made him quiver. He cleared his throat, and approached the group of three. He weaved through a horde of Groske milling around, and stiffened when he finally stood directly in front of them. He opened his mouth to speak, but faltered when Captain Erisa Magambo appeared by his side and pushed him out of her way.
He tried to protest, but she silenced him with a single scathing glare. He nodded in understanding, and skittered away. She watched him go, turning around only when the man disappeared around a corner.
“Miss Lethbridge-Stewart,” Magambo acknowledged, bowing her head in respect. She turned to her fellow companions, nodded, and turned back to Kate.
“Captain Magambo,” Kate responded tersely. “A pleasure to meet you at last. Colonel Mace spoke highly of you. You’ve risen through the ranks over the past few years, as I understand it?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Magambo nodded proudly, before inclining her head towards a passing Groske. “Welcome to Mount Snowdon. As you can see, we have the situation under control.”
“Yes, that fallen debris is a true testament to your competence,” Kate said dryly. “Tell me, what exactly happened here?”
Magambo looked away. “There were… unforeseen circumstances.”
“‘Unforeseen circumstances?” the Indian man scoffed, his expression ablaze with anger. “Your blunder allowed a rogue wing of Shansheeth and a duplicitous agent to come in and commit a hostile takeover on the facility!”
“Easy, Colonel,” Kate ordered quietly, but firmly. She turned back to Magambo with an easy expression. “I can handle this. Osgood, inhaler,” she added offhandedly.
Sure enough, the nervous looking woman by her side pulled out a blue inhaler and sheepishly took a puff, before quickly pocketing it.
“You’re lucky Miss Smith and Mrs Jones were in the area to contain the damage, Captain. You could learn a thing or two from them,” Kate continued.
“In fairness, Miss Smith and Mrs Jones both had assistance from the Doctor, ma’am,” Magambo countered with an undercurrent of bitterness.
“Well, between Sarah Jane’s experience with both Tia Karim and Major Kilburne, and Jo's long history with UNIT, I’d say my point still stands.” Kate scanned the damaged facility thoughtfully. “Even still, It’s to my knowledge that Tia Karim isn’t the only breakaway agent tonight. Am I right?”
Magambo’s nostrils flared. “Those two incidents were—”
“A blunder?” Kate interrupted.
“... I was going to say unrelated, ma’am,” Magambo finished passive-aggressively.
“Really? Because I’ll tell you how I see it, Captain. I see it as a fatal error on your behalf. You didn’t think to double-check the doctored, if you’ll pardon the pun, readings of the Doctor’s DNA results that Colonel Karim handed you. Your ignorance is the cause of this. And two hours ago, half of this base was lost to an explosion and is now in need of repairs. Oh, the board are going to have a field day with their lectures.”
“With all due respect, Miss Lethbridge-Stewart, I don’t see how the Geneva board concerns me.”
“No,” Kate mused. “I didn’t think you would. I read your files, Captain. You never liked secrets before. What changed? Something the Doctor said?”
Magambo bristled at the insult, and the refresher on a memory she’d rather forget. She was ready to land another carefully-riddled venomous retort, when a scientist shuffled towards them anxiously, a stack of papers in his hands. He skidded to a halt in front of them, heaving loudly. Several papers flew away, but he didn’t seem to notice.
“Miss Stewart, ma’am,” the scientist huffed. He craned his neck to the left, and a flicker of surprise lit up his eyes. “Oh, Captain Magambo.”
“Malcolm, now isn’t the time—”
“But it is!” Malcolm interjected firmly, turning to Kate Stewart and her compatriots with a grave expression.
Kate stepped closer. “What’s wrong—it’s Malcolm, isn’t it? Malcolm Taylor?”
“That’s right,” Malcolm nodded quickly, pulling his glasses up when they started to slip off his face. His Welsh accent thickened as his words became more urgent. “But this isn’t about me. Well, it is, slightly. You see, I was running a full inventory check, to-to see if anything was lost to the damage.”
“And?” Kate prompted.
“Oh, there were some stuff, but we won’t miss them. They were pretty rubbish, if I’m being honest. Although…” The grave expression was back on Malcolm’s face. “Two items were gone. Not damaged, not charred, just gone. Missing. Vanished without a trace, and no one knows where they’ve gone. Poof.”
“What were they?”
“It was them, ma’am. It was the—"
The scientist barely had time to turn around before Kate Lethbridge-Stewart stormed into view, flanked by two members of her team, a young, flighty looking woman, and an ashen-faced Indian man.
The scientist gulped. Kate was new to her role as the Head of Scientific Research, but there was an unbridled fury in her expression that made him quiver. He cleared his throat, and approached the group of three. He weaved through a horde of Groske milling around, and stiffened when he finally stood directly in front of them. He opened his mouth to speak, but faltered when Captain Erisa Magambo appeared by his side and pushed him out of her way.
He tried to protest, but she silenced him with a single scathing glare. He nodded in understanding, and skittered away. She watched him go, turning around only when the man disappeared around a corner.
“Miss Lethbridge-Stewart,” Magambo acknowledged, bowing her head in respect. She turned to her fellow companions, nodded, and turned back to Kate.
“Captain Magambo,” Kate responded tersely. “A pleasure to meet you at last. Colonel Mace spoke highly of you. You’ve risen through the ranks over the past few years, as I understand it?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Magambo nodded proudly, before inclining her head towards a passing Groske. “Welcome to Mount Snowdon. As you can see, we have the situation under control.”
“Yes, that fallen debris is a true testament to your competence,” Kate said dryly. “Tell me, what exactly happened here?”
Magambo looked away. “There were… unforeseen circumstances.”
“‘Unforeseen circumstances?” the Indian man scoffed, his expression ablaze with anger. “Your blunder allowed a rogue wing of Shansheeth and a duplicitous agent to come in and commit a hostile takeover on the facility!”
“Easy, Colonel,” Kate ordered quietly, but firmly. She turned back to Magambo with an easy expression. “I can handle this. Osgood, inhaler,” she added offhandedly.
Sure enough, the nervous looking woman by her side pulled out a blue inhaler and sheepishly took a puff, before quickly pocketing it.
“You’re lucky Miss Smith and Mrs Jones were in the area to contain the damage, Captain. You could learn a thing or two from them,” Kate continued.
“In fairness, Miss Smith and Mrs Jones both had assistance from the Doctor, ma’am,” Magambo countered with an undercurrent of bitterness.
“Well, between Sarah Jane’s experience with both Tia Karim and Major Kilburne, and Jo's long history with UNIT, I’d say my point still stands.” Kate scanned the damaged facility thoughtfully. “Even still, It’s to my knowledge that Tia Karim isn’t the only breakaway agent tonight. Am I right?”
Magambo’s nostrils flared. “Those two incidents were—”
“A blunder?” Kate interrupted.
“... I was going to say unrelated, ma’am,” Magambo finished passive-aggressively.
“Really? Because I’ll tell you how I see it, Captain. I see it as a fatal error on your behalf. You didn’t think to double-check the doctored, if you’ll pardon the pun, readings of the Doctor’s DNA results that Colonel Karim handed you. Your ignorance is the cause of this. And two hours ago, half of this base was lost to an explosion and is now in need of repairs. Oh, the board are going to have a field day with their lectures.”
“With all due respect, Miss Lethbridge-Stewart, I don’t see how the Geneva board concerns me.”
“No,” Kate mused. “I didn’t think you would. I read your files, Captain. You never liked secrets before. What changed? Something the Doctor said?”
Magambo bristled at the insult, and the refresher on a memory she’d rather forget. She was ready to land another carefully-riddled venomous retort, when a scientist shuffled towards them anxiously, a stack of papers in his hands. He skidded to a halt in front of them, heaving loudly. Several papers flew away, but he didn’t seem to notice.
“Miss Stewart, ma’am,” the scientist huffed. He craned his neck to the left, and a flicker of surprise lit up his eyes. “Oh, Captain Magambo.”
“Malcolm, now isn’t the time—”
“But it is!” Malcolm interjected firmly, turning to Kate Stewart and her compatriots with a grave expression.
Kate stepped closer. “What’s wrong—it’s Malcolm, isn’t it? Malcolm Taylor?”
“That’s right,” Malcolm nodded quickly, pulling his glasses up when they started to slip off his face. His Welsh accent thickened as his words became more urgent. “But this isn’t about me. Well, it is, slightly. You see, I was running a full inventory check, to-to see if anything was lost to the damage.”
“And?” Kate prompted.
“Oh, there were some stuff, but we won’t miss them. They were pretty rubbish, if I’m being honest. Although…” The grave expression was back on Malcolm’s face. “Two items were gone. Not damaged, not charred, just gone. Missing. Vanished without a trace, and no one knows where they’ve gone. Poof.”
“What were they?”
“It was them, ma’am. It was the—"
[12:45 P.M] Primrose Hill, 27th October 2011
“I was thinking ‘bout you. Thinking ‘bout me. Thinking ‘bout us. What we gonna be?”
“Honestly, I don’t know how you can listen to that new pop rubbish,” Cassandra sighed disapprovingly, watching her daughter sway along to the rhythm.
“Oh, I don’t know, Mum,” her daughter replied with a half-smile, still swaying in the centre of the room. She bunched up the skirts of her blue polka dot dress, and spun to face Cassandra. “Lizzie was listening to it aloud from her iPod this morning, and I quite like it.”
“I don’t,” Cassandra shot back stoically. “And be careful with that dress, Sophie!”
Sophie shrugged it off, spinning slowly across the room whilst humming along to the music. “There’s just this tune. It’s… soothing.” She grinned mischievously from ear-to-ear. “And it goes great with this dress!”
Cassandra harrumphed. “I don’t see how music could ever go with a dress, dear.”
“Well, I suppose you wouldn’t.” Sophie dramatically spun in a circle, almost knocking over a vase as she did so, and came to a stop in front of her mother with a curtsy and a laugh.
Cassandra sighed. Even at the age of fifty-four, Sophie’s enthusiasm could not be dispirited. “I do mean it,” she said warningly. “Be very careful with that dress. It’s important.”
“This funny old thing?” Sophie looked down at the dress, and wrinkled her nose in distaste. “I ought to ask why you would ever think such a thing, but you always did have a very eccentric style about you.”
“Cheek!” Cassandra lightly swatted her daughter’s hand. The pair broke into laughter. When Cassandra sobered, she sighed and reclined back into her armchair. “But it was the height of fashion during my time. It was your grandmother’s. She wore it on VE Day. The first VE Day. A long, long time ago…”
“You ought to be careful about getting too nostalgic,” Sophie said warningly. “They say that brings on dementia quicker.”
“Sophie!” Cassandra admonished disapprovingly.
Sophie’s lips tugged into an impish smile. She wrapped her arms around her mother, and kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry, Mum. You’re still as bright as Mr Hawkins. And besides, even if you weren’t, I’d look after you.”
“Yes,” Cassandra hummed thoughtfully. “That’s what I’m worried about.”
“Now who’s being the cheeky one?” Sophie laughed. Cassandra grinned at her daughter. Even now, Sophie knew how to make her laugh.
There was a knock on the door. Both women craned their necks to look out at the hallway.
“Whoever could that be?” Sophie wondered.
“Oh, it must be Tayla,” Cassandra realised. “She did say she’d drop by later with the sandwiches. Could you get that, dear?”
“Sure.” Sophie slid off the armchair and disappeared into the hallway.
“And make sure to congratulate her! Her daughter recently apprehended a boy for distributing illicit substances in school!”
“I’ll tell her ‘well done’ from the both of us!” Sophie called back. Tayla was perhaps Cassandra’s only friend in the world besides her daughter and granddaughter. She leaned back in her chair, waiting for the inevitable loud greetings. She heard the door open, and smiled, waiting.
The smile slipped from her face when Sophie started screaming.
Cassandra was up in a moment and, wasting no time, rushed out of the living room and into the hallway. She couldn’t help the gasp that escaped from her throat.
“Sophie…!”
“Honestly, I don’t know how you can listen to that new pop rubbish,” Cassandra sighed disapprovingly, watching her daughter sway along to the rhythm.
“Oh, I don’t know, Mum,” her daughter replied with a half-smile, still swaying in the centre of the room. She bunched up the skirts of her blue polka dot dress, and spun to face Cassandra. “Lizzie was listening to it aloud from her iPod this morning, and I quite like it.”
“I don’t,” Cassandra shot back stoically. “And be careful with that dress, Sophie!”
Sophie shrugged it off, spinning slowly across the room whilst humming along to the music. “There’s just this tune. It’s… soothing.” She grinned mischievously from ear-to-ear. “And it goes great with this dress!”
Cassandra harrumphed. “I don’t see how music could ever go with a dress, dear.”
“Well, I suppose you wouldn’t.” Sophie dramatically spun in a circle, almost knocking over a vase as she did so, and came to a stop in front of her mother with a curtsy and a laugh.
Cassandra sighed. Even at the age of fifty-four, Sophie’s enthusiasm could not be dispirited. “I do mean it,” she said warningly. “Be very careful with that dress. It’s important.”
“This funny old thing?” Sophie looked down at the dress, and wrinkled her nose in distaste. “I ought to ask why you would ever think such a thing, but you always did have a very eccentric style about you.”
“Cheek!” Cassandra lightly swatted her daughter’s hand. The pair broke into laughter. When Cassandra sobered, she sighed and reclined back into her armchair. “But it was the height of fashion during my time. It was your grandmother’s. She wore it on VE Day. The first VE Day. A long, long time ago…”
“You ought to be careful about getting too nostalgic,” Sophie said warningly. “They say that brings on dementia quicker.”
“Sophie!” Cassandra admonished disapprovingly.
Sophie’s lips tugged into an impish smile. She wrapped her arms around her mother, and kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry, Mum. You’re still as bright as Mr Hawkins. And besides, even if you weren’t, I’d look after you.”
“Yes,” Cassandra hummed thoughtfully. “That’s what I’m worried about.”
“Now who’s being the cheeky one?” Sophie laughed. Cassandra grinned at her daughter. Even now, Sophie knew how to make her laugh.
There was a knock on the door. Both women craned their necks to look out at the hallway.
“Whoever could that be?” Sophie wondered.
“Oh, it must be Tayla,” Cassandra realised. “She did say she’d drop by later with the sandwiches. Could you get that, dear?”
“Sure.” Sophie slid off the armchair and disappeared into the hallway.
“And make sure to congratulate her! Her daughter recently apprehended a boy for distributing illicit substances in school!”
“I’ll tell her ‘well done’ from the both of us!” Sophie called back. Tayla was perhaps Cassandra’s only friend in the world besides her daughter and granddaughter. She leaned back in her chair, waiting for the inevitable loud greetings. She heard the door open, and smiled, waiting.
The smile slipped from her face when Sophie started screaming.
Cassandra was up in a moment and, wasting no time, rushed out of the living room and into the hallway. She couldn’t help the gasp that escaped from her throat.
“Sophie…!”